Engine starter



Oct. 18, 1932. c YLE 1,883,411

ENGINE STARTER Filed April' 27, 1951 Fig. 2 Fig. 3

A TTORNEV Patented Oct. 18, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT oF icE THEO C. SAYLES, OF ELMIRA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ECLIPSE LMACHINE COZNETPA'NY,

OF ELMIRA; NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF 'NEVJ YORK ENGINE STARTER v Application filed April 27, 1931. Serial No. 533,065.

This invention relatesto engine starters and more particularly to an automatic shift for starting gearing embodyinga rebound check for the starting pinion.

In engine starter drives in which the starting pinion is moved automatically into and out of mesh with a member such as a flywheel gear of an engine to be started, the demeshing movement sometimes occurs with considerable force. Under certain circumstances the pinion may be forced out of mesh with such velocity that unless preventive measures are taken it will rebound from the abutment defining its demeshed position and strike the side of the flywheel gear. Inasmuch as the latter is at this time rotating with a relatively high peripheral Velocity, these attempts of the pinion to reengage are undesirable and may cause unnecessary wear of the p1n1on or flywheel teeth.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic pinion shift for engine starters embodying novel structure for checking the tendency of the pinion to rebound from its demeshed position.

Another object of the invention-is to provid-e such a devicein which the momentum of the pinion in demeshing is frictionally absorbed and dissipated.

A further object is to provide such a device embodying an automatic brake structure for bringing the pinion to rest in its demeshed position.

Another object is to provide such a device in which the pinion arresting means is so arranged as not to interfere with the automatic traversal of the pinion into engagement with the member of the engine'to be started.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in this art from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which: i t

Fig. 1 is a side elevation'of a preferred embodiment of the inventionwith certain of the parts thereof broken away;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail partly in section of the pinion arresting means in normal position; and r Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the parts in braking position.

In Fig. 1 there is illustrated a starter drive including a power and supporting member in the form of a shaft 10, which may bethe extended armature shaft of a starting motor not shown. Freely mounted on the shaft 10 is an actuating member in the form of a sleeve 11 Which is threaded for a portion of its length as indicated at 12 and has a smooth reduced portion 13 terminating in a threaded portion 14 carrying a stop nut 16. The opposite end of the sleeve 11 is provided with an enlarged portion 17 which is arranged to be yieldably driven from the shaft 10. A collar 18 is fixedly mounted on said shaft in spaced relation to the enlarged portion 19 of sleeve 11, and is arranged to yieldingly drive said sleeve by means of a coiled spring 21 which encircles the shaft 10 intermediate the sleeve and collar, and is anchored to said sleeve and collar by the bolts22 and 23 respectivelya The collar 18 may be fixed to the shaft 10 by a key 24 and by anextension 26 of the bolt 23. I

A driving member in the form of a pinion 27 is loosely threaded upon the sleeve 11, and is adapted to be traversed along said sleeve by relative rotation therebetween into and out of engagement with a member such as a flywheel gear 28 of the engine to be started.

' Referring more particularly to Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing, it will be seen that the pinion 27 is provided in its rear face with an annular recess 28 providing a cylindrical surface 29 and an inwardly extending shoulder 31. The sleeve 11 is provided with an annular channel 32 which is adapted to register with the recess 28 of the pinion when the pinion is in its demeshed position. This channel is defined on one side by the ends 33 of the threads 12 and on the other side by an inclined wedging surface 34. A yielding abutment and braking device for the pinion in the form of a split ring 36 is mounted in said channel and is provided on one side with a radial surface 37 adapted to bear against the ends 33 of threads 12, and against the shoulder 31'of the pinion 27-when the pinion is in demeshed position. The brake ring 86 is provided on its other side with an inclined surface 38 adapted to cooperate with the inclined surface 34; on the sleeve 11 whereby longitudinal pressure to the left in Fig. 2 will cause ring 36 to be expanded as illustrated in Fig. 3 into frictional engagement with the cylindrical surface 29 of pin ion 27.

The brake ring 36 may be formed in any desired number of sections, and is normally retained in its contracted position as shown in Fig. 2 by suitable means such as a spring ring 39.

The pinion 27 is normally retained in its demeshed position by means of a light spring 41 arranged on the smooth portion 13 of the sleeve 11 and adapted to bear at one end on the stop nut 16 and at the other end against a stepped thrust ring 12 which, as indicated, forms a supporting and spacing element for the pinion 27.

In the operation of the device, acceleration of the shaft 10 by the starting motor causes the sleeve 11 to rotate in the direction of the arrow A in Fig. 1 of the drawing, whereby the pinion, due to its rotational inertia is traversed into mesh with the engine gear 28. ,IVhen further longitudinal motion of the pinion 27 is prevented by the ring 12 striking the stop nut 16, the pinion 27 is forced to rotate with the sleeve 11 thus causing the engine to be cranked.

When the engine becomes self-operative, the acceleration of the flywheel gear 28 causes the pinion 27 to overrun the sleeve 11 whereby, due to its threaded relation therewith, the pinion is thrown back to its demeshed position in contact with the yielding abutment 36. The impact of the shoulder 31 of the pinion against the radial surface 37 of the abutment 36 causes the latter to be moved to the left and wedged outwardly as shown in Fig. 3, into frictional engagement with the interior cylindrical surface 29 of the pinion. It will be understood that as the force of the impact of the pinion against the abutment member increases the braking effect of said member on the pinion will be correspondingly increased until its kinetic energy has been dissipated.

As soon as the pinion has been brought to rest, and the longitudinal pressure on the surface 37 of the abutment member 36 is thereby relieved, the spring ring 37 will be allowed to contract and return the abutment member to its normal position out of frictional contact with the pinion 27. It will be understood that the inclination .of the surfaces 34; and 38 is such that this releasing action is properly controlled by said spring ring.

. It will be seen that there is here provided a device for preventing the rebounding of the starting pinion which is entirely automatic, but which is positive and eflicient in its action and which is simple and economical in construction.

Although but one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail, it will be understood that various other embodiments are possible and certain changes may be made in the arrangements and proportions of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention, as defined in the claims appended hereto.

Vhat is claimed is:

1. In an engine starter, a power member, a driving member mounted thereon for movement into and out of engagement with a member of the engine to be started, means for moving the driving member into idle position when the engine starts, normally inoperative means for arresting the movement of the driving member in its idle position and means cooperating therewith for actuating said arresting means responsive to longitudinal movement of the driving member.

2. In an automatic shift for engine starters, a power member, a driving member mounted thereon for movement into and out of engagement with a member of the engine to be started, means for moving the driving member into idle position when the engine starts, normally inoperative frictional means for arresting the movement of the driving member in its idle position and means cooperating therewith for actuating said arresting means responsive to longitudinal movement of the driving member.

3. In an engine starter, a power member, a driving member mounted thereon for movement into and out of engagement with a member of the engine to be started, means for moving the driving member into idle position when the engine starts, means normally out of operative engagement with said driving member for arresting movement thereof in its idle position, and means cooperating therewith whereby impact of the driving member moves the arresting means into fric tional engagement therewith.

4. In an engine starter, a power member, a driving member mounted thereon for movement into and out of engagement with a member of the engine to be started, means for moving the driving member into idle position when the engine starts, an abutment member for defining the idle position of the driving member, and means whereby longitudinal impact of the driving member thereon causes said abutment member to move into frictional engagement with said driving member for dissipating its kinetic energy.

5. In an engine starter a power shaft, a pinion mounted thereon for longitudinal movement into and out of engagement with a member of an engine to be started, means for moving the pinion into idle position when the e11- gine starts, and a yielding abutment member for defining the idle position of the pinion,

said abutment member having braking means adapted, when said abutment yields, to come into engagement with and arrest said pinion.

6. In an engine starter a powershaft, a pinion mounted thereon for longitudinal movement into and out of engagement with a member of an engine to be started, means for moving the pinion into idle position when a the engine starts, a yielding abutment memher for defining the idle position of the pinion, said abutment member having braking means adapted, when said abutment yields, to come into engagement with and arrest said pinion, and resilient means for returning said abutment member to normal position.

7. In an engine starter a power shaft, a pinion mounted thereon for longitudinal movement into and out of engagement with a member of an engine to be started, means for automatically moving the pinion into idle position when the engine starts an annular member journaled on said shaft in position to engage said pinion in its idle position, said pinion having an annular recess adapted to receive said member, and means whereby longitudinal pressure of the pinion against said member causes. the latter to expand within said recess into frictional engagement with the pinion.

8. In an engine starter a power shaft, a pinion mounted thereon for longitudinal movement into and out of engagement with a member of an engine to be started, means for automatically moving the pinion into idle position when the engine starts, an annular member j ournaled on said shaft in position to engage said pinion in its idle position, said pinion having an annular recess adapted to receive said member, said member and shaft having inclined abutting surfaces whereby longitudinal pressure of the pinion against a said member causes the latter to be expanded by said shaft within said recess into frictional engagement with the pinion, and means for contracting said member out of frictional engagement with said pinion when the longitudinal pressure is relieved.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

THEO G. SAYLES. 

